Ashes to Ashes
by Serosa
Summary: A gray dimention... Makenshi... Kaze... An odd 'mist' in the air... Thats all I'm gonna tell you!
1. Default Chapter

_**I don't know why I wrote this… I don't know what possessed me.**_

**_But I do know that if Makenshi or Kaze won't kill me, one of you readers might…_**

_**Ashes to Ashes**_

Gray… Everything was gray. The dead threes, the cracked ground, even the sky was gray. There were gray stones, and dunes and mountains, also in gray. There was even gray mist floating around.

Kuroki Kaze let his gaze sweep over the landscapes with a silent sigh. This had to be the dreariest place he'd ended up in so far…

As he began walking through the gray landscapes and its mist, he noticed an odd smell as well as taste in the air.

Shrugging it of, the black wind continued walking in search for _something_.

Not far from there, another man needed to be reminded exactly _why_ he had bothered to come to this dead world. The gray substance floating in the wind made him feel dizzy. Why had he even taken his mask off in the first place?

The man leaned against a gray mountain wall and sighed as he looked down on his pure white clothes. The gray dust was clinging to his clothes and if he stayed in this place much longer; he might actually become gray as well.

Somehow that thought felt highly amusing and the man couldn't help but chuckle. White Cloud would become Gray Cloud…

The man known as Makenshi leaned even more heavily against the wall and let his eyes slid shut. The small smile that had graced his lips died. What was it he had been thinking about? He couldn't quite focus… he felt so lightheaded.

Okay… So perhaps Kaze had done wrong when ignoring the smell and taste in the air. He felt… odd. The little memories that he had were slowly beginning to disappear. For instance: He couldn't remember who he was or how he'd ended up in this world.

…Wait. He hadn't known that from the beginning, so it didn't count…

There was something in the mist that seemed to cling to his lungs and parts of his mouth, creating an unusual, tickling, feeling. It was incredibly distracting.

Looking around the landscape Black Wind noticed something different. A spot of white on a gray hill, against a gray mountain wall. Kaze began walking towards the white.

Climbing up the hill the black clad man noticed, to his delight, that the pure white spot actually was another person. Kaze's joy came to a painful point as he somehow managed to slip on the gray dust and fell on his face while hitting his knee on a rock.

Mumbling a silent curse, the carrier of the magun looked up on whoever he was heading for. The white was still beauty in the midst of all gray. Deciding that it was worth the pain, Kaze continued his climbing until he stood in front of the person in white.

He had, however, not expected what he saw. This… creature in white did seem familiar, but Kaze couldn't quite place him in his memory. (Most of it was already gone…)

Ever so carefully, Kuroki Kaze reached out his left hand and lifted the strangers chin, taking in every detail of the pale face in front of him. The stranger seemed to be unconscious, even if he was still standing. Kaze let his eyes travel over the face, concentrating, trying to remember…

Thick black lashes resting upon pale skin, a strong contrast to the pure white hair. Kaze leaned closer.

There was some sort of black spikes –or was it horns- decorating the white hair…

The feeling in Kaze's chest and mouth grew stronger, and all logical thought seem to have left him. Before he was aware of what he was doing, Black Wind had pressed his lips onto the soft lips of the stranger.

Shiroi Kumo wasn't sure of what was happening, nor did he really care. He felt a light touch on his chin, lifting his face up, and some time later he felt a pressure on his lips. The touch on his chin disappeared and White Clouds mouth fell open on its own accord. Something wrapped firmly around his waist, preventing him from sliding to the ground, and he was somewhat thankful for the support, until he felt something else, that seemed to be alive, slip into his mouth.

A strong wind lifted the gray 'mist' and cleared the air around Makenshi and Kaze. Immediately Kumo's mind started to clear and he opened his eyes for about half a second before closing them again in exhaustion.

Shiroi Kumo's eyes snapped open and widened, and suddenly he felt wide awake, and completely shocked. Who wouldn't be after waking up pressed against a mountain with Kuroki Kaze kissing them!

Kaze also started to come aware of his surroundings and opened his eyes. It took about 1.86 seconds for four things to register into his mind. He was kissing someone... With his tongue in their mouth... And his left arm wrapped around their waist... The last realization was the most horrifying: the one Kaze was kissing was his rival and enemy.

The blue eyes widened and Black Wind jumped away from Makenshi as fast as humanly possible.

For once the two faces weren't completely indifferent, but perhaps that would have been better than the horrified looks they wore…

"Wh… What do you… you think you were… d-doing!" Shiroi Kumo asked, looking like he would have collapsed to the ground weren't it for the mountain wall supporting him. Kaze stayed silent as Makenshi brought his hand to his mouth. He really didn't have an explanation for his actions. He couldn't even recall how he'd ended up there. It had all begun when he breathed in that mist.

"Is this your doing," Kaze asked suddenly. Kumo's eyes widened further, if possible.

"What?" he snapped, though his voice was a bit muffled by the hand. Interesting how the white cloud managed to create a lethal glare despite his wide-eyed expression.

"This mist…" Kaze said. "…affects the mind."

Makenshi's hand fell from his lips and his eyes narrowed.

"I-it's dust carried by the wind, you fool," he said, seemingly getting back some of his old self. The sentence; 'Besides, my mist is white', went unsaid. Makenshi let his mask slid back on as he kneeled down to have a closer look at the gray soil. Following the example, Kaze tied the neck part of his cape tighter around his nose and mouth as protection.

Kumo took some of the "soil" in his hand.

"Ashes…" he mumbled more to his self than Kaze. After gathering some of the ashes into an empty bottle for further inspection he straightened and noticed a stronger wind bring another cloud over them. This time though, Makensi wasn't affected, thanks to his mask.

Kaze however, soon noticed that his cape did not provide a decent cover. No mater how much he tried to resist it, his thoughts blurred and left him in that same state of drug high he ad been in earlier.

Makenshi turned back towards Black Wind and noticed Kaze staring at him with a dazed look. He took a small step backwards as Kaze leaned closer, and his back met the mountain wall… again.

"Green or aqua..?" Kaze asked.

"What?"

"Your eyes," the black wind explained. "Are they light green, or aqua?"

Since Makenshi had nowhere to run, he took out a bottle of mist and let it drop to the ground and shatter against the rocks. It wasn't an attack, but the white etude hoped that his mist would clear the air, _and_ Kuroki Kaze's head.

The air cleared, yes. But the dazed expression on Kaze's face stayed. So Shiroi Kumo did the only thing he could think of. He lifted his right hand and slapped the black wind.

Kuroki Kaze blinked and touched the red mark on his cheek. Reality started to enter his eyes.

"Get off me," Makenshi said. That snapped Kaze back to reality faster that a chocobo could run. For the second time that day, Kaze found himself standing a bit too close for comfort to his rival. He quickly moved away.

For the longest time the two of them just stood there, wondering what to do. Somehow killing each other didn't seem like the right option at the moment.

"There's a phantom train inside this mountain…" Makensi said at last. "The entrance is a cave only a bit above us." Kaze nodded and the mist around them grew thicker until the white cloud disappeared in it.

If they were lucky, Shiroi Kumo and Kuroki Kaze wouldn't see each other again for a long, long time.

**End.**

**Ookay... that _was _crap...**

**The rest is really up to you, dear readers… I don't mind leaving this as a two shot, but I don't mind writing more either… I am, however, planning to give you an explanation to their odd behaviour in the next chapter...If you have ideas, please tell them, or even better: give me a challenge!**

**On second thought… I don't think I have time for challenges, or my other fics for that matter… (sweat drop)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kuroki Kaze was troubled. More than that… He was horrified.

It wasn't because of the kiss… No. Because Kuroki Kaze could easily deny the kiss. He just blamed the mist for mixing with his head and making him hallucinate. And no matter what Shiroi Kumo said, to Kaze, that gray substance would still be mist.

So the kiss was easily denied. Then what was it that was so horrifying?

It was simply that, that no matter how much he wanted, no matter how much he _tried_, Kuroki Kaze could not deny that Kumo's lips had been quite soft… nor could he deny the feeling of having his arm wrapped around that slender waist. But the most terrifying had to be that he could not deny that Shiroi Kumo had tasted… nice. Like cool morning air before the sun has had time to make the still lingering night's humidity disappear.

Sadly for Kaze, there was nothing on the phantom train to distract him, so the black wind just sat there and pondered over his problem.

While Kaze sat troubled by his thoughts, Makenshi was seeking the one gaudium lord that might be able to help him.

It was easy to figure out who to go to, really. For something to have burnt to ashes like this, it had to have been something living, a plant, in Wonderland. Therefore, the first person to ask would of course be…

"Herba."

The plant-woman turned at the mentioning of her name.

"Makenshi baby..? What happened to you?" she asked, taking in the dirty-gray stains on Makenshi's normally pure white clothing. The white swordsman didn't answer, only held out the bottle containing the ashes, which Herba accepted cautiously.

"What is this," he asked. The question made Herba crook an eyebrow.

"…A bottle with ash?" she answered.

"From what..?"

With a sigh Herba opened the bottle and carefully sniffed in the sweet yet refreshing scent. She immediately recognized it and smiled wickedly.

"Why it's the Lovers Herb," she chirped. "Also known as the Passion Drug. It grew only in one place in Wonderland, but then it all burned up. And now anyone who visits the plane is affected by the smoke and ashes still lingering in the air."

Suddenly Herba frowned at Makenshi. "Did you meet someone there?" she asked. She didn't get an answer. "The effect doesn't show unless you meet someone while affected by the smoke…"

"The smoke did not penetrate my mask," the white swordsman answered while snatching the bottle back. With nothing more to say, White Cloud turned and left, leaving Herba alone to ponder what the questioning had actually been about.

So, Kaze had kissed him only because of the drug… no hidden feelings involved…

That was good…

Shiroi Kumo was relieved.

…

…

…

…relieved…

…Because the rivality between him and Kaze hadn't changed. They were still… enemies.

Shaking his head at his own thoughts and doubts, Shiroi Kumo decided that he must still be under the influence of the Passion Drug. Now what he needed was some rest and time to clear his head.

Whether it was because of the traces of the drug still in his system, or the work the count had had him to do, Shiroi Kumo slept the entire rest of the day, as well as the night. And the next morning he woke up with a splitting headache as well as an oddly… sad feeling that just made his life seem miserable.

It was true that his eyes often seemed to have a hidden sadness in them, easily noticed upon closer inspection. But this was different. He wasn't about to admit it, but for the first time since his home was destroyed, the white cloud felt truly depressed. But for what reason, _that_ he could not understand.

That day, Makenshi sat outside on the count's vessel, as far out on the tip as possible without falling, while allowing the wind to play with his hair and cape, and to calm him down.

Elsewhere, the black wind was walking through a thick forest. He didn't know where he was heading, nor did he care.

He remembered that last night he had dreamt about kissing Kumo again. (Those cursed dreams…) And he knew that he had to find a way to bury these new weird thoughts. Because somehow, for some unknown reason, they made him feel so… Empty.

Back in her garden Herba suddenly realized something.

"Wonder if I should have told Makenshi about the after affect of the Lovers Herb…?" the plant-woman asked herself as well as her plants before shrugging it off.

After all… why would Makenshi be interested in a minor detail like that? It's not like he had been affected by the drug or anything... He had said so himself.

**End.**

**I know… it was short, and even worse than the first chapter… (sigh)**

**Anyway, I'm going to leave it like this for a while, but if I get the inspiration, I'll write and put out more chapters. Thanks to those who read and reviewed, you are very kind!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He was falling… falling… falling forever. The wind rushed past him and he just fell. He would hit the ground and it would hurt and he would die. He couldn't stop falling…

Suddenly he was captured by a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around his waist from behind. Completely drained of all strength, he slumped against a broad chest.

"You are mine to kill, Shiroi Kumo," a hoarse voice said in his ear. "So you cannot die like this."

He turned his eyes up to look at the fluffy white clouds above them. They reminded him of his homeland.

"But I'm already dying," he answered. "Because of a broken heart..."

Warm lips pressed onto the bare skin on his shoulder, offering the slightest comfort.

Shiroi Kumo woke up bathing heavily. He swallowed once as he remembered his dream

"…Because of a broken heart…" the white swordsman whispered, and sorrow filled his light green eyes. He was, after all, from the "people among the clouds". His kind had a peace loving nature, even if they were fierce warriors in battle. They were not immune to death. Many died of old age, some died defending their home, and then there were those who died the most tragic death of all; death from a broken heart, and the painful sorrow that followed.

Only the people from Mysteria were known to die from sorrow.

That day the count sent them all out to seek and retrieve the omega crystals.

"That goes for you too, Makenshi," the boy said. Makenshi didn't answer. He never did. But silently he was happy for the distraction.

At the meanwhile, Kaze was sitting in the phantom train together with the woman, Lisa, and the tree children.

Lou, the wolf-girl had attached herself to Kaze's magun arm, and Kaze sat patiently through it all. At times he didn't even notice her. Why..? Not because he would have liked or even gotten used to being clutched like that, but because, after all, she was only a child.

Besides, he was being distracted by the memory of a dream he had had the night before.

He had been walking through a wasteland when he had seen a streak of white, falling down from the clouds. He had watched it fall with incredible speed for a while before finally capturing it in his arms a few moments before it would have hit the ground.

It was weird, the way he captured it, since he couldn't remember ever being able to fly…

The "streak of white" had slumped against his chest, and Kaze had recognized his enemy… Shiroi Kumo…

Despite that, he held the swordsman tightly, as to prevent him from falling any further as they floated in the air.

"You are mine to kill," he had whispered into Shiroi Kumo's ear. "So you cannot die like this." And he had meant it. Kumo was his to kill, no other death would do. Then he had pressed his lips onto the bare skin on Kumo's shoulder, right below the blue choker. He had felt the muscles shift under his lips as Kumo turned his head towards the sky.

"But I'm already dying," the white cloud had answered. "Because of a broken heart..."

And then… he had woken up. And at the back of his mind he had felt sorrow and worry… and he knew there was something he should have remembered… about broken hearts.

The phantom train came to a stop and he, the woman and the tree kids stepped out from it and started walking up the already well-known stairs. Lou was still attached to his side, as if glued to it, and still Kaze said nothing.

Soon they were able to hear a song… a song about work, to be precise. They followed the voices to a large factory-like room filled with men who all looked the same. Some were putting parts of machinery together, while others were tearing them apart again. Lou let go of Kaze's side and took a few stops forward to get a better look.

"I know this place," she said with surprise.

Shiroi Kumo was walking through the gaudium, preparing for his quest to find the omega crystals. He felt a pain in his chest, right above his heart.

'…dying… because of a broken heart…' But his heart wasn't broken, was it?

The white cloud stopped in his tracks when he felt the presence of the necromantic. Oscha…

"Ah, Makenshi," the 'man' said as he took form next to the swordsman. "I just came from a meeting with Kuroki Kaze, and we had a small discussion about you."

Makenshi crooked an eyebrow, but other vice didn't react.

"He asked me about you," Oscha continued. "He seemed to be very interested in you. Of course I told him that you don't really care about him, and it seemed to have upset him! Enough to use the magun..!"

For some reason, another twinge of pain went through Shiroi Kumo's chest. He knew, or at least he thought he knew that Kaze hated him.

…Upset because Oscha said he didn't care…?

Shiroi Kumo closed his eyes and walked past the necromantic without a word.

"I'm sure this won't affect your work, Makenshi," he heard Oscha say. "After all, you do not care about what Kuroki Kaze has to say, do you …Makenshi…?"

White Cloud didn't answer. He never did.

**End.**

**I really can't believe I'm still writing on this fic… I can't believe I got an inspiration to write this chapter for that matter! Yet again, I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed; I do not deserve such kindness….**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Fabula, the guide of wonderland, was very worried. As she looked into her magical pearl, all she could see was the faces of suffering._

_The makenshi was suffering. And the magun was suffering. Neither knew why._

_However, Fabula was a guide. She could not interfere with the lives of others._

_But perhaps… she could guide them towards the end of their pain…_

He felt so weak these days. Always so weak. He'd lost his appetite and eaten less and less until he had stopped eating entirely. That, of course, only weakened him further. His chest ached more often now, and at times it felt like he couldn't breathe. Makenshi felt like he was dying.

Every now and then he would catch one of the deathlords smirking at him, and it unnerved him. Fungus was dead and Herba wasn't much of a problem. Pist had started hacking on Kumo constantly when he had realized that the swordsman was weakening, even though the fish-man wasn't sure of what was causing it (but he wanted to find out. Oh, he wanted to find out). Kumo fought hard not to loose control and split the fish in two with his sword.

What Kumo was most worried about was the way Oscha and the count would look at him. There was something in those looks that made the white swordsman uneasy. He needed to get away. So he did. Shiroi Kumo disappeared from the count's vessel, and walked aimlessly around wonderland.

Not far, Kuroki Kaze was wandering around, looking for clues of his enemy's whereabouts. He couldn't help the feeling of anxiety gripping him, as if something was really, terribly wrong. It was a feeling like half of his soul was slowly dying from an unknown pain, and yet, Kaze himself didn't really feel anything.

Suddenly the black wind noticed a pale figure moving towards him. Even without the battle mist Kaze immediately recognized Makenshi. In the blink of an eye he had the red secondary gun ready.

Shiroi Kumo stopped about five meters away from his rival. He was a bit surprised to meet Kaze so suddenly. So… randomly… but the surprise was quickly overtaken by fatigue and pain.

"Is this the day you kill me, Kuroki Kaze," Makenshi asked in a tired voice. "Or will it just be like all the other unfinished battles…?"

Kaze didn't lower his secondary gun, but neither did he shoot. Shiroi Kumo had made no move to release his sword, and that bewildered him.

'What's wrong with him?' the black wind wondered as Shiroi Kumo continued to speak with sad eyes.

"I'm just so… tired." After saying this, the swordsman's eyes slid closed and he fell forward to the ground. He didn't move after that.

This was the perfect opportunity for Kaze to end his rival's life. But… he couldn't. He couldn't kill Makenshi. Not now. It felt… wrong. So Kaze let his arm go limp and just stared at the body lying in front of him. Slowly, he walked over to it and knelt down. He carefully lifted Kumo's face from the ground and frowned. The white cloud was sickly pale, and his skin felt feverish.

Gradually Kaze lifted the younger man's upper body with his hand so that his left arm was securely around Kumo's back and the white-haired head was resting on his shoulder. When that was done, Kaze slid his magun under Kumo's legs and lifted the body off the ground before pausing.

What exactly was he doing? Helping his enemy?

The black clad man was about to place his rival back onto the ground and leave when he noticed something. Moving the fingers of his left hand Kaze's frown deepened.

That felt like… Yes. Kaze was sure about it. What he felt was Shiroi Kumo's ribs, as if the swordsman hadn't eaten in days.

With a sigh, the black wind gave up the fight and carried Makenshi over to a small spring he had seen earlier.

After setting his light burden down next to the water, Kaze hesitated a moment before taking out a piece of cloth from a hidden pocket. He dipped the cloth into the stream and placed it on Shiroi Kumo's forehead, and waited.

For a small moment the white swordsman looked so very young, and innocent. Kaze almost, _almost_ felt tempted to reach out and move the soft strands of hair out of Kumo's face.

With a small, almost pitiful moan, Shiroi Kumo started to wake up. The green eyes opened and blinked at the sky before finally settling to gaze at his helper in confusion.

"Kuroki… Kaze..?" Kumo asked, his voice and eyes betraying his thoughts: 'Why..? I don't understand…'

Without a word Kaze stood up and walked away, leaving Kumo alone by the spring.

'You are mine to kill, Shiroi Kumo,' Kaze thought silently to himself. 'No other death will do.'

But the beautiful green eyes looking at him in confusion would not leave his mind. Why did he feel so weird about leaving his rival like that? And why was he suddenly so strongly reminded of the dream he had had a few nights ago?

Kumo stared at Kaze's back moving further and further away. Why hadn't Kaze just ended it all? The white swordsman sat up with much effort. Something damp fell onto his lap as he did so. Looking down, Kumo noticed the dark colored cloth Kaze had placed on his forehead.

Almost as if in a dream, Kumo lifted a shaking hand and picked up the cloth.

The white cloud brought the cloth up to his face and inhaled, eyes closed. It smelled wet, but it also smelled like Kaze.

Shiroi Kumo couldn't stop his body from trembling, and to his ultimate horror, something wet found its way down his cheek. He quickly whipped away the tear, but it was followed by another and then another until it seemed like they would never stop. Shaking, Kumo curled up with his knees against his chest.

He was a Mysterian warrior. He shouldn't cry. Mysterians didn't cry it wasn't like them to do so. But young Shiroi Kumo couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He curled his arms around his legs and hid his face against his knees. Five words escaped him in a broken whisper, muffled by his legs:

"Kamui-sama… I'm going to die…!"

**End.**

**Kamui, the Japanese God of the sky. I'm flattered that people see this work as worthy to read...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A young woman was running, chasing after a child around a field. She was dressed in a simple short sleeved, flowing white dress. Her wolf-gray hair was tied into two braids that stubbornly stood straight up, and her long bangs covered her eyes most of the time. The child was a speck of white running around the grass. Every now and then he managed to lift and levitate himself for a few moments before landing softly on his feet.

Blue eyes watched the two play with an unusual warmth. There was something familiar in all of this… A sigh made Kaze look over to his left. Next to him sat a young teen with long red hair tied into a ponytail.

"What's wrong?" Kaze asked with a voice he didn't recognize as his own. He sounded so young! The redhead turned to look at him with crimson eyes. His slight surprise turned into an amused smirk.

"Is there _anything_ you fail to notice?" he asked. Kaze shook his head, amused as well.

"Tell me," the black wind demanded. The boy next to him looked at the two still playing. His eyes turned slightly sad, but his smirk didn't change.

"I'm worried about ototo…" he admitted at last. "He's nearing maturity…" Something in that statement made Kaze grin and ruffle the teen's red hair.

"Well isn't that a good thing, for you?" he teased. "You've been waiting for it for a long time, right?" Those words were followed by a painful twinge in his chest. The redhead swatted away Kaze's hand and smiled back. Then the smile faded and he looked at the white-haired boy, chased by the woman.

"I'm just worried… that he'll choose someone else… or that his heart will break… because of the pressure." he whispered and glanced at the brunette. "You know about the broken heart of a Mysterian, right?" Kaze frowned.

"Nii-sama!"

Both teens turned to look at the boy that was now slung over the woman's shoulder, and the redhead started laughing.

"I'm coming, oh fair damsel in distress!" he shouted and stood up.

"I'm not a girl!" the boy retorted. Kaze bit his lip as he watched the red-haired teen run to save his brother. This feeling… this anger… it was…

Blue eyes opened, not really remembering anything of the dream. Only flashes of colors and feelings. Kaze sat up and rubbed his eyes. He felt as if he was missing something. Propping himself against a rock that had previously served as his shelter, the black wind looked up at the oddly colored sky. After a while the man of the magun huffed.

Stupid dreams…

It didn't take long before his eyes started to droop again and he was starting to doze off. This time, however, there was no trace of the warm feeling from earlier. It had been replaced by the feeling of something being wrong. And it prevented Kaze from falling asleep fully. It prevented him from breathing normally…

It was a bare white room. On one side of it was a bed. It had no cover, nor a pillow, only a white mattress. And on the bed lay a very sick looking Shiroi Kumo whose left hand was clutching a dark colored cloth.

Kumo held the cloth from Kaze against his chest as his entire body shook from a violent coughing fit. Saliva ran from the corner of his mouth and he whipped it away with the back of his hand before going limp on the bed, trying to even his breathing. He was completely loosing control over his mist that came from his mouth in small puffs.

Somehow Makenshi had managed to get back to the Gaudium, back to his room. He'd taken off his belt, cape and shirt before falling onto the mattress. Kumo licked his dry lips and whispered out for the one person he wished was there with him, like always before:

"Nii-sama…"

Soon after this he whispered another name. The cause of his condition:

"…Kaze…"

The name was accompanied by a lone tear.

Kumo was almost asleep when the door to his room opened, but the white cloud was too tired to care. All he wanted was to fall into a peaceful slumber. That was, until he was grabbed by the throat and jerked out of his bed, quite violently. Startled, the makenshi stared straight into the face of Oscha. The hand around his neck tightened.

"Did you sleep well, Lord Makenshi?" the necromantic asked. Weakly, the swordsman tried to pry Oscha's hand from his throat.

"You've been loosing strength rapidly, Makenshi," a childlike voice spoke up. It was the count. Kumo cursed his luck. "Herba told us that you've been to the passion drug plane, not so long ago…" Oscha released Makenshi, and the white swordsman fell to the floor, hitting his right shoulder painfully against the hard surface. Clenching his teeth, Kumo started to gather himself.

"Who are you bonded to?" the count asked. Kumo paused at the question before taking hold of his bed and pulling himself into a somewhat sitting position.

"You look pathetic like that…" the brat noted. "Now answer my question!" The makenshi closed his eyes and remained silent. The swordsman wasn't sure at which point he had dropped the dark cloth. But he was afraid that either of his 'visitors' would find it.

A grip on his chin forced Kumo to turn his head upwards. The hand was larger than a child's, yet it wasn't Oscha. Feeling a bit confused Kumo opened his eyes and met the count's purple glare, only inches away from him. The count had taken a grown up form.

"You will tell me before the end," he threatened in a low voice. Kumo felt himself grow cold.

The moment Oscha left the room Shiroi Kumo knew that he would end up regretting ever being born.

_The guide of wonderland, Fabula, looked into her magical pearl in a mixture of sadness and anger. Even if no sounds came through the pearl, she could almost hear the makenshi cry out. What angered her most was that she could do nothing._

_Fabula knew that she had to help the magun and the makenshi break the love herb's bond between them as soon as possible. She just hoped the two unlimited would be able to work it out._

_Through her pearl, Fabula saw the makenshi lying on the floor._ He looked almost peaceful, but the blood around him told other vice.

The count looked at the unconscious swordsman with dissatisfaction before leaving the room.

_There wasn't much time left. The makenshi would die within a week by earth's timeline, and the counts actions had only helped to shorten his life span even further._

Kumo woke up some time later, but he didn't find the strength or the will to pull himself back to his so called bed. For a while he just laid still, light-green eyes staring into nothing, empty and broken. Then a smile, the smile of someone who has accepted his defeat, crept over the bloodstained lips. It didn't matter anymore. He might as well die right here, lying in his own dried blood.

Kumo let his thoughts wander back to the dream he had had, only moments earlier. He had been running on one of the green fields of Windaria, and Aura had been there, chasing him. A bit further away he had seen his brother and Kaze.

The makenshi closed his eyes. Of course he knew the truth of the dream. He knew it wasn't a dream at all, but a memory. A memory… of a time when… there had… been…

only happi-…

-ness…

…

…

…

**End.**

**Take it or leave it. And thank KageRyuuji for giving me back my will to write on this story.**

**I have no idea what I'm writing. At first I was planning to make them go xxxx to xxx xxxxx, and then have Kaze xxxxxx xxxx and xxxxx the xxxxxxx and then leave it at that. But apparently this story (and my muse) had different ideas…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning, please: There will be an amount of OOC:ness in this chapter, I'm afraid… (starts hitting herself) Err… Also someone complained at the lacks of kisses and… other… action… (cough)**

**Chapter 6**

Kaze sat on a mountain of ice, looking at the submarine disappearing into the sea. He hadn't seen Shiroi Kumo in a while, and had the nagging feeling that something was wrong. However, Shiroi Kumo was his sworn enemy. He wouldn't have cared even if the swordsman was lying somewhere, dying.

Not really finding anything interesting with watching the submarine, Kaze got up from the cold ice and started walking down the mountain (instead of letting it freeze his ass off). The black wind had only walked a few steps when everything around him started to blur. Kaze stopped in surprise and stared at the disappearing snow. For a moment he was surrounded by a blinding white, and then the whiteness started to take form.

Kumo had had… such a nice dream. He'd dreamt that everything had been a nightmare, and he'd been comforted and cuddled by his big brother. But the problem with sweet dreams was that they all had to come to an end. Kumo woke up cold, shivering and hurting all over. He sensed that someone had been in his room; probably Pist who came to gloat over his broken body… it didn't matter.

The white swordsman moved himself slowly, carefully lifting his upper body from the floor. He fought a wave of nausea, but failed and vomited on the floor. After emptying his stomach, not that there was much in it to begin with, the makenshi used his simple bed to pull himself onto his feet. He had to pause and wait for the dizziness to pass before shakily moving over to the other side of his simple room where a carafe of water stood on a shelf extending straight from the wall. Kumo stumbled against the shelf, hitting his aching ribs against it, but managed to stay standing.

The white cloud dipped a shaking hand into the water and started washing himself, washing away the blood. Soon he lifted the entire carafe and dumped the water over his head. Of course Kumo wouldn't be able to wash off the bloodstains from his white pants, but at least his hair and torso were clean. The swordsman took a deep breath and moved over to where his shirt, cape and belt lay. Ever so carefully the white cloud started dressing himself. From the corner of his eyes Kumo saw the dark cloth lying under his bed and reached out to grab it and tuck it safely under his belt.

Suddenly he stopped to listen. How odd… He could have sworn he had heard the sound of the ocean. The world around him started to blur and Kumo rubbed his eyes thinking that there was something wrong with them. However, the blurring only continued.

Kaze looked at the beautiful aqua-eyed woman in front of him and all the odd pearls surrounding them. The woman opened her mouth and spoke, and her voice was like a calming melody, so soft and sweet:

"Welcome dear guest. I am Fabula, your guide." She smiled softly and Kaze felt himself relax.

"Why am I here," he asked in the same hoarse voice as always before. Knowing that this man simply didn't quite understand unless one was being blunt, Fabula decided to state the obvious.

"You're suffering, but you do not know why," she answered the question. Kaze frowned and was about to ask when something started to take form next to him. Not able to keep his weakened body standing after the trip, the form started falling. Without even thinking about it Kaze reached out and captured his sworn enemy with his free arm. As Kumo held on to the supporting arm for his dear life and tried to regain his balance, Kaze looked down at the white swordsman in utter surprise.

Makenshi's shirt was damp and his hair dripping wet. His pants were wet as well, and stained with patches of blood. Kaze felt torn between pity and the will to kill.

"I can show you back to where it all begun, and where it can all end," Fabula told the two unlimited. "But from there on; you will have to work things out on your own."

Once again the surroundings around the two sworn enemies started to blur, and they disappeared from Fabula's shell. The guide of wonderland sighed and closed her eyes. One simple kiss, freely given by either one was all it would take for the curse, or bond as was called, to break. She just hoped nothing would go wrong. After all, these two did not deserve the pain they were in.

The bizarre, yet calming view of the pearls disappeared in front of Kaze and Kumo, and was replaced by greyness. Gray dunes, grey mountains, a grey sky and grey mist…. Kumo groaned when he recognized the plane. This was where Kuroki Kaze had first lost his mind and… kissed… him. Remembering the incident Kumo blushed and let go of the black wind's arm and carefully moved away from the other man.

Kaze remembered the plane as well, but he didn't move at all, only stood there and looked at his surroundings before turning his head towards Shiroi Kumo. What Fabula had said about suffering was true, but to Kaze it looked like the green-eyed warrior had been suffering enough for both of them. Even if it was just for a moment, Kaze did feel pity towards the white cloud. The pity in Kaze's eyes when he looked at Kumo startled the swordsman. He couldn't help but hope that Kaze had finally remembered him, though the odds for that were very unlikely. Behind Kaze, the white cloud noticed a grey cloud moving towards them and he readied himself, knowing how the mist or smoke or whatever would affect him. It didn't take long for the grey whatever to reach them. Already after the first breath Kumo felt weakened, his arms automatically reaching out for support. An arm appeared around his waist, preventing him from collapsing. The white cloud more or less fell against Kaze, but due to the mist, dust, whatever, he didn't find the strength to care.

Kaze was trembling from all the images and emotions flashing through him. Suddenly he let out an almost animalistic growl and shoved the white swordsman against a large grey boulder nearby. Kumo let out a startled sound and looked up, confused.

"You…" Kaze said in an accusing voice. Kumo's eyes started sliding closed but Kaze shook him violently awake. "You… never saw me!" Kumo blinked, clearly not understanding, though if it was because of Kaze's words or the drug affecting his mind was unclear.

"I was there," Kaze continued in the same accusing voice. His eyes were unfocused, indicating that the drug had gotten to him too. "I was there, yet you chose _him_. You didn't even look at me, at all."

Weakly, Kumo lifted his hands in a futile attempt to twist Kaze's grip off him. He soon failed to even keep his eyes open any longer, and actually felt better once they were closed. Before falling into a similar haze as when he visited the plane for the first time, Kumo felt himself being dragged to the dusty ground.

"I wanted… you," the white cloud heard someone whisper and then he felt a tug on his belt.

Kaze tugged at the thick black belt a couple of times before noticing something falling to the ground. By now he as well was gone with the wind, so to say… The black wind stared at the dark cloth and picked it up to get a better look at it. It took a while for Kaze to realize where he had seen the cloth before. Once he finally recognized it, the brunette looked at Kumo in surprise, though it didn't really show in other than his eyes. How come this beauty had it? As Kaze watched the younger man lie on his back on the ground, eyes closed as if in a peaceful sleep, he was suddenly reminded of some stories he'd heard somewhere a long time ago… something about sleeping princesses. Acting from pure impulse, Kaze leaned down and kissed the sweet "princess". But he longed for more. It felt like he'd been longing for more his whole life, which didn't make sense since he didn't even know this pure white creature.

A wind blew over the two rivals, clearing the air around them. Kumo stirred and moaned. A few moments later his eyes flew open to stare at the grey sky in shock. Kaze, who had moved his mouth to taste the skin by the "beautiful creature's" shoulder, froze in horror. Neither man seemed to like the way Kaze's hand had been travelling.

"Get off me!" Kumo screamed, nearly hysterical. Kaze was more than willing to obey. Before the black wind even had time to stand up fully, Kumo scrambled away from him:

"What…! What were you… you…"

Kaze wasn't sure why he found Shiroi Kumo's embarrassment so pleasing, especially when the makenshi's eyes fell on the unclasped belt that lay on the ground not far from him. All memories that may have been awoken by the "mist" were now gone.

Without saying another word, the man of the magun turned away and started off in a search for the dimensional tunnel he knew lied somewhere on this plane, leaving behind a ruffled and molested looking enemy.

The portal that Kaze eventually found dispatched him, unfortunately, in the middle of the ocean where the submarine, Jane, and her crew picked him up.

The next time for Kuroki Kaze and Shiroi Kumo to meet would be inside the ocean puzzle, where old wounds would be reopened.

But before that, Kumo sat in the grey dust, watching Kaze turn his back at him and walk away. Suddenly the white cloud felt abandoned. His brother was dead, and Kuroki Kaze hated him, memories or no memories. He was alone. There was no one who cared whether he lived or died.

Shiroi Kumo was completely and utterly alone in this world of chaos.

**The End.**

**I am so utterly ashamed for writing something as… _bad_ as this. I wanted a good ending chapter but this…! (buries her face in her hands) I hate myself.**


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